Diapers Can be Cool

Fall has escaped me, at least in the blogging sense. One day it’s September and the next it’s November.  There wasn’t much to report on the sewing front at first, but once I started sewing again, I was out of the habit of blogging. Funny how that happens so quickly. But I’m back and I have a few things to share that I’ve been working on, so stay tuned. I will even attempt my first tutorial (no promises!)

To ease me back into blogging, I thought I’d share a quick project that I whipped up this week for my friend’s baby shower. Who knew that carrying diapers could actually be cool? Well, apparently Anna at Noodlehead because she came up with this stylish diaper pouch and then was kind enough to share it (for free!) Thank you, Anna!

Fabric: Joel Dewberry, Heirloom, Ornate Floral in Gold

I don’t have any little ones so I can’t rave about how much I love carrying diapers in this, but I can imagine it would be nice to have something quick to grab and throw in the stroller or in the car if you don’t want to lug around your whole whale of a diaper bag. You could easily stick this in your oversized purse and be on your way. And as Anna points out, you can quickly take stock of the number of diapers that are in there before leaving home and getting stranded with two wet kids and one diaper between them. Yikes!

Add to Anna’s sleek and simple design anything that fabric designer, Joel Dewberry, has had his hands on, and you’ve got a classy, colorful, and hip little bag that might tempt you to empty the diapers and tote it along as a cute clutch next time the baby sitter relieves you for a night out with hubby. Maybe that’s just me.

If you’re stumped on a baby shower gift and can sew a straight line, I encourage you to give this a try, especially if you stuff it with some diapers, wipes and maybe some diaper cream as Anna suggests.  It’s a fun unique gift that you can customize to fit any style. 

P.S. Was just over at Anna’s blog…please pray for her and her family or send her some words of encouragement.

Baby Boom

Did it happen to anyone else? One week in January, I commented to my coworker, somewhat disappointedly, that no one I know is having a baby. I don't have any kids myself yet, but the blogosphere is so full of adorable baby things and I wanted a piece of it (without the sleepless nights). Of course the responsibility then falls to my friends. Come on, guys!

Well, just a week later I found out that one of my good friends was pregnant and after her it seemed like every fourth woman at church, at the grocery store, and walking in the park was starting to show signs of growing bellies and glowing faces. What a lovely time of year!

Admittedly, I haven't been a baby-gift producing factory as hoped this summer, but after making my 2-D Zoo quilt for my sister's friend, I had some adorable scraps to use up. While browsing blogs one day, I stumbling upon Maked's tutorial for reversible fabric baby booties, I got right to work on a gift for my friend's baby. I found the tutorial to be quite clear, but I struggled a bit with the final step of sewing everything together. It sure was hard to keep everything flat and lined up, but the booties still turned out to be pretty adorable and are certainly worth a try by new and experienced sewers alike.

To match the little booties, I also appliquéd some onesies using the elephant and hippo from the Alexander Henry's 2-D Zoo print.

This was my first time doing applique on clothing. I used Steam-a-Seam Lite and it was very easy to work with and lightweight so it was just perfect for the thin cotton material. These onesies (0-3 months) were practically doll-sized and I am still not convinced that a real baby will ever fit in them!

Given together, these are a sweet simple gift for any new baby.

My First Mug Rug

I’ve been reading about mug rugs all over the quilting blogosphere so these cute little guys have been on my mind lately. There was even a week of Mug Rug Madness (check it out!) Though I’m on a time-crunch to finish up a commissioned baby quilt (I’m working on it, I promise!), we have a friend who is getting married at the end of April and when I checked out his registry and saw three Fiesta mugs, I knew that they would be perfectly paired with some Modern Meadow mug rugs. And who wouldn’t want some adorable little mug rugs to go along with some new mugs? These sweet little mats invite you to not only grab a cup of coffee or tea, but a cookie or a piece of cake to go with it.

While these mini quilts brighten up your table and catch your crumbs, they are also quick and easy to make! I made the whole quilt (minus the binding) in less than an hour or so and was able to hand finish the binding before one episode of Downton Abbey had finished up. The other great thing about mug rugs is that you can practice new piecing, stitching, or binding techniques and not feel like you’ve ruined thirty hours worth of work if something goes wrong. I might try out machine finishing my binding on one just to try it out.

I have two more to go to finish up the set.

I found the design for this particular mug rug on a blog that I’ve recently discovered by Ryan Walsh (who not only is a great quilter, but has a really nicely designed blog, too!) I used the template that he very kindly provided in his tutorial for this fun Dresden wedges mug rug.

And there is something about guys and their mug rugs, because I think my next mug rug will probably be patterned after this red and aqua rug by John over at Quilt Dad. This guy is amazing and is not only a talented quilter and designer, but also seems like a sweet dad. Check him out!

This cute little quilt is 6” x 10” and hopefully will be used for many years under many great cups of coffee. Just throw some of Kim Boyce’s cookies on there and you’ll never want to leave.